SUBSCRIBE:

Moroccan academic targeted for comments about religious texts

Share

ARTICLE 19 is concerned for the safety of the Moroccan academic and human rights activist Ahmed Assid following calls for his murder for defaming the prophet Mohamed. ARTICLE 19 condemns a hate campaign that is being waged against the philosopher for comments he made about religious texts in the national education curriculum.

Some preachers have used Friday sermons in mosques to target Assid for “being an apostate and defaming the prophet Mohamed.” Further calls for murder have been spread by social media users. The reaction was sparked by views Assid expressed in a seminar uploaded to the online video sharing website YouTube, in which he said that educational text books were teaching a violent version of Islam depicting the Prophet Mohamed as a “terrorist” – and were therefore contradicting the message of Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance.

“Assid's opinion on the content and place of religion in the education curriculum is a legitimate expression protected by international human rights law. It could be the object of discussions and differences of opinion. Indeed, this will be the demonstration of a healthy society debating peacefully matters of clear public interest.

Instead, some non-state actors, with the seemingly tacit authorisation of the authorities, have called for his murder. These expressions are not protected by international standards. They also have a chilling effect on free speech and can only result in self-censorship.” Says Dr. Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

Under international law, states have an obligation to provide protective measures to those who are at risk of reprisals for speaking out. This obligation applies in all situations where there is a risk of violence occurring and in specific situations where the authorities know or should have known of the existence of a real and immediate risk of such violence, as in this case.

ARTICLE 19 fears for Assid's life and urges the Moroccan government to stand by its international obligations, and to:

Provide appropriate protection to Ahmed Assid

Initiate an independent, speedy and effective investigation into the threats made against his life

Bring those responsible for these threats to justice

ARTICLE 19 believes that threats of violence against those expressing legitimate and peaceful speeches have a chilling effect on free expression, and result in self-censorship with people afraid to speak out or engage in debates on issues of public importance.

We call on the Moroccan government to abide by its international responsibility to respect and protect human rights, including by undertaking preventive measures in all situations where non-state actors attempt to commit crimes against freedom of expression.

At least five foreign journalists were deported from Morocco after reporting on sensitive topics, such as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) issues, sex trafficking, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Authorities arrested and deported French, Dutch, and Italian reporters and placed travel bans on several Moroccan journalists, forbidding them from leaving the country and impeding their professional work.

Attacks:

More from Attacks

Organized crime knows no borders, scorns the rule of law in democracies, and leaves little choice to journalists, who have limited resources and are extremely vulnerable. The only choice for reporters is often to say nothing or risk their lives.

Thirty-five violations were recorded in 12 countries with Nigeria recording the highest number. The findings show a slight reduction in the cases of violations compared to the previous quarter (April June, 2018) which recorded 40 violations.

Civil society leaders in Egypt are urging the U.S. government to continue to condition and withhold military aid to Egypt until the Egyptian government makes meaningful reforms to its human rights practices.

The Indonesian press has not been free from violence and abuse against journalists. There were more than 60 cases recorded from 2017 to March 2018, with at least 20 percent of the cases involving women journalists.

Despite state-sponsored repression and social stigma, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Middle East and North Africa are finding ways to speak out. They are telling their stories, building alliances, networking across borders, developing national and regional movements, and finding creative ways to combat homophobia and transphobia.

In view of the examination of Guatemala before the Human Rights Committee in March 2018, the Centre for Informative Reports on Guatemala (CERIGUA), with the support of IFEX and the International Network for Human Rights (RIDH), produced an alternative report on the aforementioned issues covering the time- period between 2012 and February 2018, the month in which this report was completed.

Covering women’s issues does not come without danger. A female editor was murdered for denouncing a sexist policy. A reporter was imprisoned for interviewing a rape victim. A woman reporter was physically attacked for defending access to tampons, while a female blogger was threatened online for criticizing a video game. For International Women’s Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) wants to turn the spotlight on violence against journalists covering these issues. This report does not address the status of women journalists, equal employment of women in journalism or sexist (or non-sexist) attitudes in the media. These issues have been widely covered and debated elsewhere. This report focuses specifically on threats and violence against both men and women reporters covering women’s rights.

Freedom Forum monitored FoE during the elections as it concerns citizens' freedom of expression through the ballot box. Therefore, any action creating an unfavourable atmosphere for the elections is also a violation of freedom of expression.

A recent HKJA survey indicates a slight rise in the Hong Kong Press Freedom Index after two consecutive years of decline. Journalists on the ground believe that the situation has worsened in 2016, compared to the year before. HKJA chairperson Sham Yee-lan explained that the slight increase in the Press Freedom Index was likely to be related to the emergence of online media, which has led to some diversity in the industry.

This report presents the findings of a three-month study focused on mapping, observing and analysing online harassment of journalists in Hungary. The study aimed to identify the types of harassment journalists are subject to, which journalists are typically harassed, who the harassers are, and how journalists cope with harassment.

Combining both violent and nonviolent methods, the Communist Party's policies are designed to curb the rapid growth of religious communities and eliminate certain beliefs and practices, while also harnessing aspects of religion that could serve the regime's political and economic interests.

Many journalists increasingly practice self-censorship, fearing retribution from security forces, military intelligence, and militant groups. Media outlets in 2016 remained under pressure to avoid reporting on or criticising human rights violations in counterterrorism operations. The Taliban and other armed groups threatened media outlets and targeted journalists and activists for their work.

Chinese authorities' enforced disappearance of critics from Hong Kong and other countries in 2016 garnered headlines globally. Beijing's decision to interfere in a politically charged court case in Hong Kong in November undermined judicial independence and the territory's autonomy. In the ethnic minority regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, Beijing continued its highly repressive rule, curtailing political activity and many peaceful expressions of ethnic and religious identity.

IFEX publishes original and member-produced free expression news and reports. Some member content has been edited by IFEX. We invite you to contact [email protected] to request permission to reproduce or republish in whole or in part content from this site.

Get more stories like this

Sign up for our newsletters and get the most important free expression news delivered to your inbox.